Spatula mill



Feb. 22, 1944. w. CLAYBOURN ETAL 2,342,252

SPATULA MILL Filed oct. 1940 Figi. l j

\ @j Lsmwclayboum Y Edwarbggset ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 22, 1944 SPATULA MILL Leslie W. Claybourn and Edward A`. Butler, Buffalo, N. Y., assignors to The Turbuletics Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application October 8, 1940, Serial No. 360,306

' (ci. :ss-7) 3 Claims.

l This invention relates to mills for grinding and/or mixing of materials, and particularly to processing mills adapted to efficiently mix relatively viscous and/or sticky materials, for example, as in connection with the preparation of colored printing inks, or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved mill for the purpose described comprising essentially a stationary milling member and a rotary milling member wherein the relative disposition of the milling members is adjusted and maintained by improved means. Another object of the invention is to provide a mill of the character described which is of improved capacity and operating efiiciency, and structurally simple and rugged. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan, with portions broken away, of a mill of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially along line II-lI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section through a stator-supporting portion of the mill; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the stator supporting portion of Fig. 3.

The mill comprises essentially a base I upon which is mounted an annular side wall or housing l2 which is spanned across its top center by a` beam I4. An upright post I 6 is rigidly mounted upon the base I0 at the center of the mill, and a milling rotor 20 is rotatably mounted upon the post I6 by means of bearings 22. Gear means are illustrated at 24 for supplying power to the rotor.

The milling surface portion of the rotor 20 is of conical form concentrically of the axis of rotation, and is preferably lined with a similarly shaped wearing plate 26 to take the wear of the milling action. A milling stator 30 is disposed adjacent the milling face of the rotor 20 and is detachably mounted above the rotor within the housing I2 in such manner as to press the mill feed material against the rotor when passing therebetween. The stator 30 is maintained against rotation Within the frame I2 by means of a plurality of connecting pins 32 which are disposed at spaced intervals about the periphery of the stator. The pins 32 are of rod like form and rounded at their opposite ends so as to be adapted to pivot vertically at their respective ends within corresponding sockets formed in the stator and housing wall portions. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the sockets 34 in the housing I2 and the sockets 36 in the stator 30 are of funnel-like form in vertical planes so as to permit relative movement between adjacent portions of the housing I2 and the stator 30 in vertical directions only, as illustrated in broken and solid lines in Fig. 3.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, however, the sockets nt the pins `32 closely at their sides. Consequently, the pins are free to move vertically so as to permit relative movement in vertical directions between adjacent portions of the stator and the housing I2; but rotation of thestator relative to the housing is prevented. Preferably, the pins $2 are so constructed as to be adapted to shear under predetermined excessive load conditions, whereby they are adapted to function as safety devices to relieve the operating portions of the mill in case the rotor and stator become locked together under abnormal service conditions.

The stator 30 is provided with a central stem 40 which is bored as at 42 to provide the mill feed inlet conduit for the device, and it will be understood that the upper end of the stem 40 will be connected to the mill feed supply means in any suitable manner. At its lower end the stem 40 opens into the space between the rotor and the stator at the apex of the milling zone therebetween, and the mill feed material is thus introduced into the milling zone at the center thereof for movement radially under thel combined forces of gravity and centrifugal yaction due to rotation of the rotor. The stator is adjustably mounted upon the housing I2 by means of a thrust collar 44 which is screw-threaded into a central portion of the beam I4 and is internally bored so as to receive the stem 40 therethrough. A compression spring 46 is disposed between the stator 30 and the adjacent end of the thrust collar 44 so that the stator may be adjusted to press resiliently downwardly upon the rotor in response to screw-threaded adjustments of the thrust collar 44 relative to the beam I4. Laterally extending handles 48 are formed upon the thrust collar 44 for the convenience of the operator in adjusting the pressure upon the stator.

'Ihe bore of the thrust collar 44 and the outside diameter of the stem 40 are so relatively proportioned as to provide a substantial gap 50 therebetween. Consequently, the stator 30 and lts integral stem portion 40 are free to oscillate Within the thrust collar 44, as for example Whenever the volume of the mill feed material between the rotor and the stator varies at op posite sides of the center of the mill. Consequently, under such conditions the stator will be free to move upwardly and away from the rotor at the position of increased bulk of mill feed material, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3, and without interference between the stem 40 and the thrust collar 44. Consequently, the spring 46 normally imposes equal pressure forces at all sides downwardly upon the stator, andthe stator floats freely upon the mill feed material and adjusts itself in accord with variations in the volume and distribution of the mill feed material; but the spring 46 tends at all times; to return the stator to normal attitude and parallel to the working face of the rotor.

The stator 30 is preferably regulated as to temperature by means of a temperature regulating fluid introduced through an inlet 66. forv transmission through intercommunicating uid chambers 62 formed within the stator structure, and u thence through anoutlet conduit 64. The stator 30; is also. preferably reinforced by means of radial: uns. 68. at the: outer: surface thereof. to increase therigidity'of the. structure; At intervals about the. inner'wall. ofthe housing |2l are. provided a plurality of laterally extending scraper plates 'it which are.y mounted in cantileverv fashion upon the housing l2 and extend therefrom into scraping contact with theperiphery of the rotor 2t. Thesefscrapers. T function to scrape the product of'V the, mill awayfromthe periphery of the working surfaces thereofas the product exudes from between they milling members. Appropriate troughs (not shown) may` be disposed beneath the Scrapers 1U to receive and convey away the product. of the mill.

Although onlyl one form ofy the invention has been shown and described inY detail?, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit oft the invention or" the scope of the appended claims; I

We claim:

1'. A processing mill comprising essentially' a frame, a rotor rotatably mounted upon said frame, a. statorv universallyA mountedL upon said frame-by means of an elastic compression connection devicevv in opposed relation with respect' to, saidfrotorwhereby said statorY is'adapted to oscillateI relative to' said rotor about substantially horizontal axes under-unevenly distributed loadings therebetween, means' for introducing mill' feed` material between said'stator. and said rotor, meansA forimpartingV rotational movements to said rotor, and a pin' extending between said framean'd said stator anddi'sp'ose'dl at its opposite ends in sockets formed' in. said stator and. said frame, said sockets being elongated in directions parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor to permit said pins to accommodate movements of said stator in directions parallel to said axis of rotation, said sockets being otherwise closely fitted to said pin whereby said pin prevents rotation of said stator relative to said frame.

2.. A. processing mill comprising essentially a frame, a` rotorv rotatably mounted upon said frame, a stator mounted upon said frame by universally elastic connection means in opposed relation with respect to said rotor whereby said stator is adapted to oscillate relative to said rotor about substantially horizontal axes under unevenly distributed loadings therebetween, elastic force means mounted upon said frame and said stator to urge said stator against said rotor, adjustment means operatively associated with saidl elastic force means for varying the force exerted thereby, means for introducing mill feed material between said stator and said rotor, means for ini-parting rotational movements to said rotor, and a free pin disposed' to extend between said frame and said stator and having its opposite ends disposed in sockets'formed in said stator and said frame, to prevent rotation of said stator relative'to said frame.

3.2 A processing mill comprising` essentially a frame, a rotor rotatably mounted upon said frame, a stator mounted' uponsaidframe by universally elastic connection means in opposed rela.- tionV with respect to Said rotor whereby said stator is adapted to oscillate relative to said rotor.

. about' substantially horizontal axes under unevenly distributed loadings. therebetween, elastic. force meansy mounted upon said' frame and. said stator to urge said stator against. said rotor,

, form of a tubular structure. integral with saidstator and extending through. said frame at a loosely fitting portion tlflereof,l said elastic. con-` nection means being in the.. form` of a compression spring mounted upon said tubular feed inlet and bearing at, one of its endsagainstsaid frame and-A at. the other ofits endsagainstisaid stator, andia free pin disposed to. extendbetween. said-frame and said stator and having its opposite ends disposed in sockets. formed. in` said stator and said. frame,. to prevent rotationof saidN stator relative:

to said frame.

LESLIE W.- CLAYBOURN'. EDWARD Ar BUTLER. 

